Believe Me or Not
by White Shade
Summary: Just a one shot about the deal between Rumpelstiltskin and the farmer's poor family. From episode titled "The Shepherd." Rated for content I suppose.


A/N: Just a One-shot about the deal between the farmer's wife and Rumpelstiltskin

**Believe Me Or Not**

"Believe me, it's for the good of everyone," Rumpelstiltskin said modestly. His terms seemed unacceptable to the poor farm family, but there was also little choice in the matter. They needed money and fertile soil, Rumpel wanted a pittance, and the king needed a son.

The woman stared at her husband, contemplating the bargain. They didn't like it at all, giving away one of their children just so they could survive.

"I told you there was a price...now, we made this deal some time ago," he went on.

"But the child!" the man exclaimed.

"It's what I need," Rumpelstiltskin said in confidence and with slight insanity. If they didn't give up one of the boys, he was, to put it simply, screwed. This had turned out just perfectly, and to have them go back on a deal now, that was not going to happen. He wouldn't let it.

"Look..." Rumpel continued. "I am sorry that this is what it's come to. Come on now, give one of them to me...we made a deal." His eyes were turning slightly black and his gold-dusted skin seemed to be glistening more than usual.

He was getting impatient, and no one wants to see Rumpelstiltskin impatient.

"All right, all right," the woman cried, giving in to what he was demanding. She ran into the house, and her husband stared gravely at Rumpel.

"You drive a hard bargain, Rumpelstiltskin," he said with a certain darkness Rumpel was easily able to brush off.

They went into the house where the two boys were crawling on the ground together, though they didn't seem to playing. The poor farmer looked the children, wondering which one to give up while his wife walked steadily into their room. Rumpelstiltskin followed her with silent footsteps.

He caught her staring at a baby blanket, and right away, Rumpelstiltskin knew what he had to say to her. This was not going to be easy, though he never expected it was a child that the king would want out of everything his power could provide.

Rumpel knew that children were priceless. Hell, he should know better than anyone, and indeed he does. He'd almost forgotten what it meant to lose a child, considering he'd saved his own from disaster, costing him something far greater. However, it was price he was willing to accept after all, and now he was the one taking away the children.

Flashbacks of Bae and Maria appeared in his mind. The ogre wars...him running away the first battle just to protect Baelfire. He shifted back the curtains, entering quietly into the room.

"Dearie, I know how you must feel right now. Whether you believe me or not, this is up to you-" he began as she wept into the small blanket.

"You're taking my child away from me! Do you have any heart, any _soul_, at all?" she asked.

Though that stung a little, he once again shook off the reckless comments.

"Yes, yes I do," he replied through his crooked and rotting teeth. "And I didn't think it would come to this..." He came closer, but this freaked out the farmer's wife and she slapped him away from her.

Rumpelstiltskin glanced at her with sorrow filled eyes. When she finally got over her tears and looked up from the child's blanket, she could see he was indeed telling the truth. For moments, they stared into each other's eyes, and the farmer's wife did not know what to think of the matter. She had never known Rumpelstiltskin until a few weeks ago, and that was only because she heard he could perform miracles. The catch was always the price in return, and now the farmer's wife fully understood what that meant.

"You have lost a child?" she asked. Rumpel wasn't sure how to reply to that question without revealing too much about himself in the process. He decided not to give her a full answer but one that might satisfy her.

"I came..._very_, very close," he said. "Only son."

The farmer's wife found a little sympathy in her heart for him, though still the thought of losing her own child was preventing her from accepting the deal altogether.

"I am sorry for what you had to go through, whatever that might have been," she told him. "But, you're still taking my child away from me, and that is why we will have no further deals with you! I don't want anything to do with you after this!"

"You don't have to," Rumpel said calmly. "You came to me, and I'll tell you what, because I understand what this means for you, I'm going to offer you another favor, no strings attached."

The farmer's wife stood curious, setting the blanket on the bed where she also sat down.

"Well, go on," she said, looking at him in anticipation.

"What if I told you that the son you choose is going to a good home? In fact, he's going to be rich. He may never have to worry about fending for himself, and he will grow to be a strong, brave hearted young man," he explained.

"What does that mean? What are you talking about?" the farmer's wife asked.

"You're son is going to the king and queen," Rumpelstiltskin said. "I have made an agreement with them too, and seeing as though you hadn't decided a price, I created this one. Your son will be king one day, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing he is truly yours."

At this, the farmer's wife stood in shock. She could not believe what he was telling her, but she sensed it was the truth, and Rumpelstiltskin was doing as best he could to comfort her. There were many mysteries to that man, but she saw something in him that seemed honorable. They could not go back on this deal, and the farmer's wife smiled a little.

"That is wonderful news," she sighed. "All right, fine."

The two walked out from the bedroom and into the center of the house where the farmer held one child in his hands.

"This one," the poor man said, handing the child off to Rumpelstiltskin. "You can take this one."

"Good," Rumpel sighed, taking the child into his own arms and showing the farmer's wife the child one last time before he disappeared.

* * *

><p>He looked back one last time to see the farmer's wife staring at him from the porch which he'd just walked off. She ran down to catch up with him.<p>

"Thank you," she whispered to him and then staring at her child. "Make sure he arrives safely."

"I will, dearie," Rumpel told her. "And thank you for accepting the offer. Perhaps we'll see each other again."

"I hope not like this," she said, kissing the child on the forehead for the last time.

He waved his hand when his back faced her, and then with a flick of his wrist, both of them had disappeared.

**A/N: If you're wondering who Maria is, check out my other fanfic titled Once Upon a Deal. She's an OC.**


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